Blade and handle combination



y 1952 A. PAPP BLADE AND HANDLE COMBINATION Filed Feb. 14, 1950INVENTOR. ANDREW PAP P (04% ATTORNEYS Patented May 20, 1 952 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE BLADE AND HANDLE COIVIBINATION Andrew Papp,Grafton; Ohio, assignor to Regis Plastics, a corporation ApplicationFebruary 14, 1950, Serial No. 144,100

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to knives or the like, and, more particularly, isconcerned with improved combinations of handles and removable blades ortools adjustably or alternately received in the handle.

It has been proposed heretofore to provide handle and blade combinationsin which the handle is adapted to adjustably and removably receive aknife blade or other tool so that the knife blade as it wears down dueto sharpening can be adjusted outwardly of the handle, or new ordifierent blades can be utilized with the same handle. However, I havefound that such known combinations are open to the objection that theyare overly expensive to manufacture, may not hold up in use, aredifiicult to operate in adjusting the position of the blade or inchanging from one blade to another, and are sometimes not comfortable inthe palm or hand when used. One typical known structure includes a metalhandle which is usually machined to shape and. with bone or wooden sidesor inserts being embedded in or joined to the metal handle.Constructions of this type are relatively expensive if properly made,and are subject to breakage or separation when dropped.

It is the general object of my invention to avoid and overcome theforegoing and other difliculties of and objections to known blade andhandle combinations by the provision of a new and improved combinationof this type characterized by inexpensiveness, durability, comfort inuse, and ease of blade adjustment or change.

Another object of my invention is to provide a full-molded,thermosetting plastic handle having a metal clamp molded therein whichis adapted to positively look a blade in adjusted position in the handleor to allow quick substitution of new or other blades in the handle.

Another object of my invention is to provide a blade and handlecombination wherein the handle is metal reinforced plastic characterizedby neatness of appearance, lightness in weight, ease of bladeadjustment, and by long life.

The foregoing objects of my invention, and other objects which willbecome apparent as the description proceeds, are achieved by theprovision in combination of a blade, a plastic handle having a boreslidably receiving the blade, a metal clamp molded into the handle andhaving portions surrounding the blade, and a set screw tapped into theclamp and adapted to engage the blade to force it into positively heldrelation with other portions of the clamp. The handle is preferablysmoothly rounded and ta- 2 pers towards each end, and is formed with aplurality of substantially parallel ribs at opposite sides which aremolded integrally with the handle and which taper into the handle.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference should be had tothe accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevation of onetypical embodiment of the blade and handle combination of my invention,the view being taken towards the flat side of the blade and handle;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken substantially online Il'.-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the blade and handle taken online IV-IV of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective View of the metal clamp incorporatedin the invention.

Having particular reference to the drawings, the numeral It! indicatesgenerally a molded plastic handle. The plastic may be either of thethermoplastic or of the thermosetting type, preferably the latter, andmay, obviously, be made in any desired color to add brilliance and salesappeal to the combination. As illustrated, the handle [0 is madesmoothly rounded and tapers towards opposite ends. Flat rectangulardepressions l2 may be molded in each side of the handle l0, andpreferably a plurality of substantially parallel ribs l4 which taperinto the sides of the body are molded on opposed sides of the handle toprevent slippage of the handle in the hand of a user.

The handle I0 is formed with a flat bore l6 which extends in one end ofthe body and substantially or completely through the body of the handle,the bore I6 being of a size to snugly and slidably receive a blade I8,such as the knife blade illustrated.

Molded into the handle adjacent one end is a clamp, indicated as a wholeby the numeral 20, and generally made from sheet metal in the flattenedC-shape best evident from Fig. 4 of the drawings. The clamp 20 is moldedin the handle It) so that the inside of the clamp is substantially inalignment with the inside of the bore IS in the handle whereby the clamp20 closely surrounds and receives the blade It in the manner illustratedin the drawing. A tapped circular boss 22 is formed on one side of theclamp 29, and this is usually achieved by pressing up a circular flangefrom the sheet metal of the clamp, such a pressed-up circular flangepresenting a longer hole to be tapped to thereby provide more threadsfor supporting a set screw 24 adjustably received in the circular flangeor boss 22. The body of the handle I is provided with an opening inalignment with the circular boss 22 so that the set screw 24 can bereadily operated by a wrench or screw driver to clamp down against theblade 18 in turn forcing it against the opposed portions of the clamp,or to release the set screw to permit readjustment of the position ofthe blade [8 or substitution of a new blade or other tool in the handle.

From the foregoing, it will be recognized that the various objects of myinvention have been achieved by the provision of a relatively simple,inexpensive, durable, and long-lived handle and blade combination whichis attractive in appearance, comfortable in use, and in which bladeadjustment or changing is relatively simple. In addition, once the bladeis properly positioned in the handle, it is positively held and grippedin the handle until reset.

While in accord with the patent statutes I have specifically illustratedand described one best known embodiment of my invention, it is to beparticularly understood that I am not to be limited thereto or thereby,but that the scope of my invention is defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A knife or the like comprising a molded plastic handle having a fiatbore extending therethrough from end to end, a blade slidably receivedin the bore and of dimensions to have a snug sliding fit in the bore, ametal insert of fiattened -C-shape molded into the plastic, the insideof the insert defining substantially the inside of the bore adjacent oneend of the handle, a circular hollow boss formed integral with theinsert, the boss being tapped, a set screw carried by the boss, thehandle being formed with a hole in alignment with the set screw so thatit can be turned into locking engagement with the blade, said handlebeing smoothly rounded and tapering towards each end, and a plurality ofsubstantially parallel ribs at opposite sides of the handle moldedintegrally with the handle and tapering into the handle.

2. A knife or the like comprising a molded plastic handle having a flatbore extending therethrough from end to end, a blade slidably receivedin the bore and of dimensions to have a snug sliding fit in the bore, ametal insert of flattened C- shape molded into the plastic, the insideof the insert defining substantially the inside of the bore adjacent oneend of the handle, a circular hollow boss formed integral with theinsert, the boss being tapped, a set screw carried by the boss, thehandle being formed with a hole in alignment with the set screw so thatit can be turned into locking engagement with the blade, said handlebeing smoothly rounded and tapering towards each end.

3. A knife or the like comprising a unitary molded plastic handle havinga flat bore extending into and through the handle from end to endthereof, a blade slidably received in the bore and of dimensions to havea snug sliding fit in the bore, a metal insert of longitudinally uniformflattened C-shape in section molded into the plastic, the inside of theinsert being in alignment with and defining a portion of the boreadjacent one end of the handle, the insert having an apertured integralcircular boss and being of a size to snugly receive the blade, the bossbeing tapped and being positioned within the molded handle, and a setscrew carried by the boss, the handle being formed with a hole inalignment with the set screw so that it can be turned into lockingengagement with the blade to force same into tight engagement with aportion of the insert opposite to the boss.

4. A knife or the like comprising a unitary molded plastic handle havinga fiat bore extending into one end and at least substantially throughthe handle, a blade slidably received in the bore and of dimensions tohave a snug sliding fit in the bore, a metal insert of flattened cshapein section molded completely within the plastic, the inside of theinsert being in alignment with and defining a portion of the bore, theinsert having an apertured circular boss, the boss being tapped andbeing positioned within the molded handle, and a set screw carried bythe boss, the handle being formed with a hole in alignment with the setscrew so that it can be turned into locking engagement with the blade.

ANDREW PAPP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,082,802 Full Dec. 30, 19131,642,388 Schleicher Sept. 13, 1927 1,762,679 Crosman June 10, 19301,940,270 Rainwater Dec. 19, 1933

